Before Nigeria became a republic, the highest body charged with the administration of justice was the......

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks about the highest judicial body before Nigeria became a republic. Nigeria became a republic on 1 October 1963, so we are looking at the period 1960-1963 (and earlier, the colonial era).

Step 2: Explain the concept

• At independence in 1960, Nigeria had the Queen of England as head of state, and the country was a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth.
• Under the 1960 Independence Constitution, the Supreme Court of Nigeria was the highest court within the country, but it was not the final court of appeal. Appeals could still go beyond it to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
• The 1963 Republican Constitution abolished appeals to the Privy Council and made the Supreme Court the final court of appeal.

Step 3: Eliminate the options

• A. Court of Appeal: This was not created until 1976, so it did not exist at that time.
• B. High Court: A court of first instance and of limited appeal, so it was not the highest.
• C. Privy Council: It was the final appellate body for Nigerian cases before 1963.
• D. Supreme Court: It became the highest only after Nigeria became a republic in 1963.

Step 4: Answer The highest body charged with the administration of justice before Nigeria became a republic was the Privy Council, which is option C.

Exam tip: Remember the sequence: Privy Council (up to 1963) → Supreme Court (1963 onward, final court). The Court of Appeal came in 1976 as an intermediate court. Whenever you see "before republic", think "Privy Council in London".